India on Loop

Mexico - Day 2 - Learning to celebrate

rheamihir — Wed, 4 Mar 2015 21:04:00 GMT

We woke up on our second day in Mexico, prepped and ready to begin filming. On the agenda for that day – Herbolaria Beto Ramon.

Beto Ramon was a man much revered in the state of San Luis Potosi. A traditional healer by practice, Ramon was known for his study and use of herbal and natural medicines. We set out to meet the widow and daughter of this celebrated man, as they began their preparations for Xantolo, or the upcoming Day of the Dead festival.

True to its reputation, the Herbolaria was vibrant and alive when we reached – bustling with people as they set up their alter. As part of the Xantolo celebrations, we learned, families set up an alter to pay their respects to the returning dead. And on that first night before Xantolo, it is believed, it is the children who come back from the dead to visit their families. The alter for that day is decorated with flowers, fruits, candies and even sweet tamales – all to welcome loved ones back home. These goodies are replaced the next day with spicy tamales, beer, tequila and any other favourites, in anticipation of the older dead, who return on the second night.

Our crew was welcomed with the smell of marigolds and fresh corn dough for the tamales, and we made our way around the house watching the frenzied activity unfold. Beto Ramon’s house is well-known for celebrating Xantolo on a grand scale, and we got a chance to watch the opening dance performances and fireworks, take part in their cleansing ritual, and even help fill and roll the tamales to be cooked. The same tamales were then devoured by us two hours later, before we set off for the next stop – a cemetery in Chalco.

I’m not sure what we had expected Xantolo to be like, but we definitely hadn’t expected a festival as joyous as it was. When we reached Chalco, the sun was still setting and there was a calm but eerie vibe to the cemetery. We set up our tripod on a cement slab, ready for our timelapse, before we realized that the slab was actually a grave and it would be disrespectful to place anything on it. Fast forward to 10 p.m. when the graves were covered with, once again, marigolds, tequila, beer and celebrating people.

Xantolo welcomed us and overwhelmed us all at once that first day. We ate, laughed and danced with the families, and yet we weren’t able to celebrate with them, not with the same sense of serenity they had. Coming from a culture that falls silent in respect for the dead and remembers loved ones in hushed tones, it was hard at first to view the festival for what it was – a celebration of the life those people had once lived, and a night to greet them, ever so briefly, back into the mortal world.

But as we stood there in the cold cemetery of Chalco, surrounded by dances and laughter, and sharing cups of hot chocolate with the families, we came a little closer to understanding the joy that surrounds Xantolo.

Mexico - Day 1 - Esta donde bano el?

rheamihir — Wed, 4 Mar 2015 20:47:00 GMT

It takes a while to get to know a place and it’s people, and for us, that’s pretty much what the first day was about.

We walked around the city of SLP taking in the buildings, the people, the smells and the mood. We watched as local schools began their early festivities for the Day of the Dead. We then piled into the car and drove 3 hours, to the city of Cuidad Valles. We discovered the landscape of a state that was green and lush, and ate corn and tacos served to us a by a family in overalls and sombreros.

But most importantly, our first day was about getting to know the crew i.e. the people we would be spending our next 10 days with.

Brian Rapsey

Getting to know Brian is a process that takes place in layers – you’re unlocking different levels of his personality as you spend more time together, and it’s absolutely fascinating.

We first met the shy and confused Brian – tired from the journey and very reserved. The initial Brian was trying to figure us out just as much as we were him. He watched as we got into the process of filming, trying to judge our style, giving us our space and watching to see how we preferred to work. Brian at the beginning was shy and often confused, thinking for long and talking little.

Then we watched Brian get into his real element. We watched as he ran up stairs and slopes, climbed tables and walls - all to get the right shot. We watched Brian give all his attention to his equipment, we watched as he planned and positioned himself to get the right angles and great shots, all the while singing about how he loved his work. Because that’s the real Brian - lost in his films, completely immersing himself in the story and the people.

Except the language. When you hear Brain attempt to talk Spanish, you have officially been introduced to the third layer of Brian’s personality – the hilarious side. Brian can remember words in Spanish but can’t, for the life of him, remember which order they go in. As a result, Brian asking for the bathroom in Spanish goes – “is where bathroom the?” which was more often than not followed by someone pointing and laughing uncontrollably. Brian in his element is flirtatious, humourous and quirky all at once. He’s posing for pictures, making friends with strangers, breaking it down to Bollywood or swaying his hips to the bachata, beer held high.

Ben Hogart

There’s three things you notice about Ben right away – his height, his beard, and his smile – all in that order.

Tall and charming, Ben garnered attention right from our first morning in SLP where he was stopped a number of times by giggle groups of girls, who all wanted a picture with this towering, bearded man.

Ben Hogart is full of smiles and full of stories. He’ll tell you about how he moved from carefree Australia to mysterious Saudi Arabia. He’ll tell you of his wonderful wife Steph and their many adventures across the world. And, no details spared, he’ll tell you about the time he got diarrhea while backpacking across Africa. If you want to explore new places, chat with locals and try new food, Ben is your man. His enthusiasm is contagious, and there wasn’t a stranger we met during our stay in Mexico who didn’t warm up to Ben instantly.

And when he isn’t busy traveling across the world, Ben is busy fondling his beard or instagramming pictures of it. You can find him by following a number of instagram hashtags, all of which include a combination of the words #beardporn and #realmen.

Ivanovish Solorio

Ivan was our gateway to Mexico in all its glory. From the airport on, this guide was by our side through all our shenanigans. Whatever our requests – be it a cold cerveza or an interview with the leader of a tribe, Ivan made sure we got it. He played the role of our guide, translator, groupie, porter sometimes, entertainer and friend!

Ivan’s patience while traveling with a film crew that constantly stopped, looked around, set up and double-checked shots before wrapping up again, was insurmountable. This eager beaver attitude went, perhaps, a little too far sometimes – in his sincere attempt to answer every obscure question we had, he definitely put in some made up answers and exaggerated information. But without this guy, our trip wouldn’t have been half as enlightening or fun as it was.

Because when we weren’t busy on the job, Ivan shared with us his passion for the good things in life. He loves the outdoors and rafting, and we watched him kayak off waterfall after waterfall in Cuidad Valles. We visited bar after bar where Ivan insisted we drink like ‘real’ Mexicans – beer with no lemon, and tequila shots with no chasers. It was either that or giant mugs of michelada. On multiple occasions, this was accompanied by some mariachi music, a little tango, a little bachata and a little Bollywood – all mixed and matched into one fantastically entertaining evening.

Which finally brings us to – Nacho Libre, The Undefeated.

The driver of our minivan is about 4’10”, bald, has a belly that betrays his love for beer and is pretty much always smiling. Nacho knows where to go, when to get there and doesn’t like to be told how. And I mean to the extent that Brian once watched Nacho continue to read his newspaper after the traffic light turned green, but was too scared to point it out to him.

Here’s one thing we never figured out – Nacho was always the first to be served his meal at the table. No matter where we went, or how fast we piled out of the car and into the restaurant, Nacho managed to park the car, enter, order, tuck his napkin into his shirt and be served his entire dish before even our drinks arrived.

This about sums up the crew that set out together – a crew of strangers who got along like old friends. And when you pack two Australians, two Indians and two Mexicans into one minivan for 12 days, you know you’re in for a crazy ride.

Mexico - Day 0 - On a new GoPro and some beer for breakfast

rheamihir — Wed, 4 Mar 2015 18:05:00 GMT

Picture this – Mihir is going through security, anxiously watching all the camera equipment - his most prized possessions - go through clearance. I am standing at the entrance to the airport, boarding pass ready in hand. Still further is my father, waiting at the Arrival Gate for my uncle to land from Austin, Texas.

Why is this relevant, you ask? Because a week before leaving for Mexico, I decided that it was vital to have the new GoPro HERO4 on our trip. But like most other exciting things, this one was only available in the USA.

Enter, the uncle from Texas, who happened to be flying to Mumbai and offered to bring the GoPro to me. That very same night. A mere hour before Mihir and I are scheduled to take off.

But pretty much anything is possible with a little determination, and a well organized human chain. Right? While I stand at the entrance, anxiously staring down the street, Mihir calls me every few minutes to inform me of his status: security – check, immigration – check, long walk through the terminal – check. He’s almost at the Boarding Gate. Interspersed with these are my father’s frantic calls to report that there is still no sign of my uncle.

By this point, the check-in counter has closed, and the people at the Airport Information Desk have become my new best friends. They know my story, and with one eye on the clock, they’re rooting for me to get my camera in time. Finally, however, one of them comes up to me apologetically - “Ma’am, I think it’s time you catch your flight.”

Heartbroken, I call my father one last time to tell him I was leaving but instead, I catch sight of him racing towards me, breathless but triumphant, GoPro box in hand! Like a seasoned relay runner, he swiftly passed on the baton, and I turned and sprinted.

I ran past a clapping and cheering bunch at the Information Desk, my newly acquired trophy held high and proud. I breezed through security, tripped on the escalator and reached a highly amused Mihir at the Boarding Gate, as the airline made its final boarding call.

And all of this before we even took off for Mexico! As if the tone for an adventure hadn’t been set already, Mihir decided we must watch The Motorcycle Diaries on the flight, followed by beer for breakfast, which is apparently an acceptable meal when in transit. Two flight changes, a newly purchased hard drive and one grueling Immigration interrogation later, we landed in the charming San Luis Potosi.

Mood set, gear in place - We couldn’t wait to begin :)

Photos: Around San Luis Potosi, Mexico

rheamihir — Wed, 4 Mar 2015 17:54:00 GMT

Paan India

rheamihir — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 16:29:00 GMT

I'm 24 and currently working as an animator in Mumbai, India. I did my undergrad in Film & Digital Art from Smith College, U.S.A and am currently planning to head back to that country for a Masters in Media and Culture studies.

I've worked on few documentary film projects as a student, and in 2010 I was part of the Real Ideas Studio student filmmaking program at the Festival de Cannes.Here, I was awarded Best Director for our team documentary 'Being France' - about the life of France, a transexual cabaret dancer.

As you can see, my life revolves around visual storytelling. Growing up in India, and even traveling the world, I've realised how many stories there are out there, how different and unique every place and person is. But the tough part, is to learn to get to the heart of the story - the part where the soul of the person and place connects with others cross boundaries. If you find that, you've found a story that resonates with the world. And winning this competition would give me the chance to work in that direction, to learn from a wonderful filmmaker and tell a story about a place 8000 miles away from home and still find a way to make it matter to me.